koehler



March s, 1932. i F. G. KOEHLER 1,848,956

TRUCK coUPLING Filed July 8, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 AWa/PWEV March 8, 1932. F Q KOEHLER 1,848,956

TRUCK COUPLING Filed July 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6. Koi/IL E@ 5V UNITED .STATES ra'ralaTjv oFFlc-a :FRANK G. Roman, or sfr.v Louis, mssounr 'muon oourrnm pplication led Julyvq,

This invention relates generally tol irnprovements in couplings, and more specifically to improved couplings for use on trucks ofthe type employed to transportmerchandise from place to place in warehouses `and other structures, thepredominant object ot'`- the invention being to provide animproved device of theftypementioned which will function with greater eiiiciencythan simllar coui plings heretofore known. .l

Couplings ofthe type to which the present invention refers include each a `connection 1n the form of a link which is of substantial length. Heretofore this link, when same was not being employed to connect a pair of trucks '1 together, was extended outwardly in an approximately horizontal direction from the truck to which it was a ttached, and asa result of this situation saidlink unnecessarily occupied space whichcould be'usedto better advantage, and said llink-'also constituted an obstacle by which persons may be injured. An important feature ofthe present inventon resides in the production ofa coupling of the type referred to, whichv includes a connectinglink so arrangedfthat the same may be moved to and maintained in an elevated position when `not in use.

Other important features of the invention are found in the shape of the connecting link referred to,which shape permits of a pair Y of trucks-being coupled when they are posiv tioned at 'a1 substantial angle with respect to each other, and in the use of a coil spring instead -of a fiatleaf spring as heretofore formaintaining the linkin its proper horizontal operative position.

Still another feature of the invention resides in arranging the coupling head by which the connecting link is engaged approximatelyy iiush with the adjacent face of the truck.

- Heretofore these .coupling heads extended outwardly beyond thetruck body and hence frequently caused injury to persons and damage to property. By arranging the coupling heads and the levers associated therewith beneath the Vtruck bodiesthe'likelihood of' injury or damage being done thereby is greatly reduced. l

Fig. 1 is afragmentary plan view of a train 152s. serial rm.l 876,804,

of trucks equipped with couplers constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section o n line 2 -2- of Fig. l. i

Fig. 3 is a head illustrated in Fig..2, but showing the knuckle in an open position. l Fig. 4 is a section on lined- 4 of Fig. 3. f Fig. 5 is a view similarv to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modilied form of the inventiont Fig. 6 is a fragmentary -planyiew ofanother form of theinvention. e. 1 Fig. 7 is aside elevation oftheform ofthe invention illustrated` infll`ig.. 6, a vfragment of the associated truck being shown in section. In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration. lone embodiment merely of the invention, and-referring particularly to Fig. 1, 'Ar-designates a plurality of trucks, each of which is provided with a connecti-ngflink B atone endthereof and a coupling head C at its op osite end. Each coupling` head C is preferably secured to the end of the associated truck b means `of-bolts 1, and a knuckle D arranged between wings 2 which extend downwardly from the couplin head is pivotally supported by a. horizonta pivot pin 3 passingI through a hubportion 4 formed on the knuckle, and also through aperture formed in the wings 2. The coupling head has a flaring' mouth 5 for the reception of the outer end of the connecting link B.

. The knuckle-comprises a substantially L- shaped coupling hook 6 extending forwardly and upwardly relative to the horizontal axis of the pivot pin 3, a striking member 7 (Figs.

, 2 and 3) having a striking-face 7', an arcuate friction face 8 adapted to be engaged by a latch device L, anda pair of abutments 9 adaptedto cooperate with said latch device. The top wall of the Haring mouth 5fis slotted at 10 to receive the upper portion of the striking member 7, and the bottom wall is slotted at l1 to receive the coupling hook G.

-When the knuckle occupies its open position, as shown in Fig. 3, the striking member 7 extends entirely across the Haring mouth 5 of the coupling head, so that its striking face .7 may be engaged by the end of a link B to throw the knuckle to the Closed position shown in Fig. 3. `When the knuckle is thrown to its 1 closed position, the latch device drops. by gravity from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2, where it will cooperate with the abutments .9 to lock the lmuckle. The legs 12 of the latch device then straddle' a portion of the knuckle, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The bottom portions zo of the legs 12 are preferably wedge-shaped to allow the ravity latch to drop reel in 'front ofthe a utments 9 when the knuck e is thrown to its closed position.

One o the legs is provided with an extension 12- having a transverse retaining arm 14 which extends through an opening in the knuckle to secure the' latch device to the knuckle. Unlockingk levers 15 extend 'outwardl from the coupling' head C in opposite zo directions, said levers being extended transversely of the truck and the inner ends of said levers are positioned beneath a pin 16 formed on the gravity latch L at the upper end thereof. The unlocking levers 15 are pivoted at 17 to brackets 18 carried by the truck (Fig. 4), and the outer operating ends of said levers are accessible at the sides of the truck so that the gravity latch L may be elevated by depressing said outer operating end of either of said levers. When thel gravity latch is elevated by operation of eitherof the unlocking levers 1.5, the knuckle will drop by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus releasing the coupling hook 6 from the co- '45 operating end of the link B. The coupling hook 6 is of such weight that it overbalances p the weight of the other elements of the knuckle and causes the knuckle to move about its horizontal axis to the open position shown in Fig. 3 when the gravity latch is elevated, the movement of the knuckle being limited by the transverse retaining arm 14 of the latch device, as seen in Fig. 3. l As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the coupling head is substantially flush with the end face ofthe truck at which it is located, hence said coupling head .will not act as an obstruction as would be the case were it extended beyond the end face of the truck, as was the au case heretofore. The same yis'true of the unlocking levers 15 which are located beneath the deck of the truck. l

The connecting link B is preferably in the form of a bar having an eye 20 at the end thereof which is engaged by. the coupling hook 6 of the knuckle, said eye being circular and of such .diameter that it will extend into the fiarin mouth 5 of the coupling head a suiiicient istance to be enga ed by said coupling hook 6. Secured to eac truck .A at the end thereof o posite to the end at which the coupling hea C is located, is a bracket 21, said bracket comprising a substantially L- shaped portion 22 adapted to engage angularly disposed faces of the truck body, and a pair of spaced apart, downwardly extended legs 23. At the lower ends of the legs 23 said legs are provided with horizontally alined openings 24, said openin s beine elongated in a vertical direction, as s iown c early in Fig. 2. Positioned between the spaced legs 23 is the inner end portion of one of the connecting links B. said connectingl link being pivotally attached to said spaced legs by means of a pivot pin 25 which extends through said connecting link and through the elongated openings 24 already referred to.

v Adjacent to the end of the connecting link B opposite to theend thereof at which the eye 20 is located, I provide an a erture 26 through which a pin 27 is extends (Fig. 2). This pin is provided at one of its ends with a head portion 28, and at its opposite end said pin is screw-threaded to receive a nut 29. Surrounding the ypin 27 and interposed between the head ortion 28 thereof and the connecting link is' a coil spring 30 of the compression t pe, said coil spring tending to force the hea portion of the pin in a direction away from the connecting link B and thus cause the nut 29 to engage the face of the connecting link opposite to the face thereof with which the coil spring contacts. In view of the arrangement. described and clearly shown in Fig. 2, itis obvious that the nut 29 will limit the expanding action of the coil spring 30, but aside from the limiting. action of the nut 29 it is equally plain that the pin 27 may move freely longitudinally through the aperture 26, in response to pressure applied thereto on expansion of the coil spring 30. When the connecting link B is in its normal horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the head ortion 28 of the pin 27 contacts with the -shaped `portion 22 ofthe bracket 21 to maintain the connecting link in such position. The connecting link B is provided with a cut-out portion 31 (Figs. 1 and 2) at an end of which a lug 32 is located, and 33 designates a hook-shaped element which extends outwardly from the bracket 21. v

When the connecting link B of one truck A is in cooperative'engagement with the coupling .hook 6 of thecoupling head of another truck, said link will be positioned as shown in Fig. 2, and because of the pivotal connection between the truck and the link, and due to the presenceof the coil spring 30, the outer end portion of said connectinglink may be freely elevated. anddepressed,j'as when the leading truck ascends or descends inclines, the coil spring 30 being compressed between the rear end of the link and the L-shaped portion of the bracket 21 when the forward end portion of the link is depressed, and being moved downwardly away from said L-shaped portion of the bracket 21 when the forward end portion of the link is elevated. Also, when the connecting link B is not being used to connect a pair of trucks together, said connectin link may be elevated to the position in which same isshown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. To maintain the link B in such ele-.. vated position the outer end thereof is movedv upwardly in an arc of a circle about the pivot pin 25 until the face 32 0f the lug 32 contacts with the curved face 33 of the hookshaped element 33 extended from the bracket 21. Continued movement of the link B 1nwardly toward-the truck which supports the link will result in the curved face 33 camming the link upwardly, during which camming movement--the pivot pin 25will move longitudinally' of the elongated openin 24:. lVhen the-link B has been moved a su cient distance thelug32 on the link B will drop by gravity behind the shoulder 34 of the hookshaped element 33, whereby the link will be maintained in its elevated position.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate a modified form f Y the invention in accordance with which the' connecting link B is rovide'd with a. hooksha d end 35 instea of an eye,4 as in the .pre erred construction. The form of the 1nvention illustrated in Fig. 5 is intended particularly for use in manual coupling of trucks, and includes an apertured element 36 adapted to receive the hook-shaped end portion in cooperative engagement to connect a truck to which the apertured element is fixed to a truck to which the connecting link is attached.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I illustrate a form of the invention where a bifurcated coupling element 37 receives the outerend of the connecting link B provided with an eye, as shown in the preferred form of the invention. In

the use of this form of the invention theeye 20 of the connecting link Ba is introduced betion of thecooperating end of the connecting link, as has been the case heretofore.

I claim:

1. A coupling device comprising a connectl ing link pivotally attached to a wheeled element in a manner to permit vertical movement of said connecting linkat its pivotal point and arranged-to assume a substantially orizontal operative position, and means on said connectmg link ada ted for engagement on vertical movement o the pivotal point of said connecting link wit-h means on said wheeled element whereby said connecting link maybe maintained in an inoperative position.

2. A coupling device comprising a connect'- ing link pivotally attached to a wheeled element in a. manner' to permit vertical movement of said connecting link at its pivotal point'and arranged to assume a substantially horizontal operative position, and means on said connectlng link adapted for engagement on vertical movement of the pivotal point of said connecting link with means on said wheeled element whereby said connecting link may be maintained in'an inoperative'position, one of such means comprising a hookshaped element arranged to engage the other means.

' 3. A coupling device comprising a connectving link pivotally attached to a wheeled elei'ment in a manner to permit vertical movement of said connecting link at its pivotal point and arranged to assume a substantially horizontal operative position, a hook-shaped element `on said wheeled element, and a lug on said connecting link, said connecting link being movable to a substantially vertical position where the lug thereon cooperatively engages said hook-shaped element on said wheeled element on vertical movement of the pivotal point of said connecting link, whereby said connecting link may be maintained in an inoperative position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aix my signature.

i FRANK KOEHLER.

tween the vertically spaced legs of the bifurcated coupling element 37 and acoupling pin 38 is passed through apertures in the legs of said bifurcated coupling element in a manner to connect the connecting link B to the coupling element 37.

By providing the outer end of each of the connecting links B of my improved structure` with an eye, I am enabled to successfully'couple a pair of trucks together, even though said trucks be positioned at a'decided angle with" respect to each `other as suggested in Fig. 1.

This results from the fact thatfthe coupling 1 action may take place anywhere along the curved edge of the eye of the connecting link instead of at a predetermined restricted porlao 

